The health risks and benefits of cycling in urban environments compared with car use: health impact assessment study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate the risks and benefits to health of travel by bicycle, using a bicycle sharing scheme, compared with travel by car in an urban environment.

Design

Health impact assessment study.

Setting

Public bicycle sharing initiative, Bicing, in Barcelona, Spain.

Participants

181,982 Bicing subscribers. Main outcomes measures The primary outcome measure was all cause mortality for the three domains of physical activity, air pollution (exposure to particulate matter <2.5 µm), and road traffic incidents. The secondary outcome was change in levels of carbon dioxide emissions.

Results

Compared with car users the estimated annual change in mortality of the Barcelona residents using Bicing (n = 181,982) was 0.03 deaths from road traffic incidents and

SUBMITTER: Rojas-Rueda D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3150633 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature